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Wonders of the World and Cambodian Beaches - 17 days Cambodia itinerary beginning in BangkokThis is an itinerary through Cambodia with lots of variety. An interesting mix of authentic rural villages, lively cities, wonders of the world, quiet beaches and the traditional life along the great rivers means there’s plenty to fill a 2 ½ week round trip. In Phnom Penh you can learn more about the harrowing history of Cambodia, which will help you understand the country and culture better. Next is a homestay in a traditional rural village in the heart of the Cambodian countryside and relaxing on the beaches of Kep and Sihanoukville. Then back to Phnom Penh before you travel on to Siem Reap for the highlight of your trip; a visit to Angkor, one of the Wonders of the World, where you spend two days wandering among the ancient ruins with your private guide. Your trip begins and ends in a comfortable hotel in Bangkok. |
| Duration | 17 days / 16 nights | Accommodation | Comfortable city and beach hotels: Comfort 2-3 |
Price | £1049 per person - based on 2 people | Included | Transport as described, accommodation with breakfast, guide in Phnom Penh and 1 day Angkor Pass, flight from Bangkok - Phnom Penh |
Transport | Minibus, car, bus, flight from Bangkok to Phnom Penh | Excluded | International flights, all other meals and excursions, admission fees |
Day 1: Arrival in BangkokMost travellers tend to arrive in Bangkok in the morning after an overnight flight. In the arrivals hall, you’ll be greeted by your driver and transferred directly to your hotel, complete with swimming pool. The hotel is a short 10 minute walk from Khao San Road, a lively street filled with bars, restaurants and shops. Once you’ve checked in and freshened up with a quick dip in the pool, you’ll be ready to hit the town.Most of the sights in Bangkok are easy to reach on foot. The Royal Palace (Wat Pra Keo) is the number one attraction in Bangkok. It’s a 20-minute walk from the hotel and it’s open until 3.30pm. Giant statues guard the entrance gates and inside you’ll find the famous Emerald Buddha, revered by many Thai and considered the most important statue here. If you have some time left, pop next door to the Wat Po to see the enormous reclining Buddha. |
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Day 2: Bangkok - Cycling TripAfter breakfast, you’ll have the rest of the morning to do as you please. If you just want to laze around and do some people-watching head to Lumphini Park (similar to Hyde Park in London). There’s always plenty going on here. In the afternoon you’ll begin your bike ride through the suburbs of Bangkok. The tour begins at 1pm in Chinatown, which is easiest to get to by taxi or tuktuk (take a taxi from the centre around 12.30pm). Meet up with your guide and the other group members at the small office and once you’ve picked out a nice shiny bike, hop on and pedal away down tiny alleyways, past simple houses and busy workplaces and a wonderful food market where locals come for their groceries. In these traditional Thai districts you’ll notice a distinct absence of modern life: no air-conditioning, no shopping malls and no traffic jams. You’ll then cross the Chao Phraya river by longtail-boat. On the other side it’s like you’ve suddenly landed in a lush green oasis, far away from the city chaos; the major roads here are narrow bike and footpaths above the khlongs. On the way your guide will point out all the fruit trees and you’ll stop off for a snack or a drink. Heading back into the city at the end of your tour you’ll be even more amazed at the stark contrast between Bangkok’s hectic centre and peaceful suburbs. |
Day 3: Bangkok - Phnom PenhYour flight from Bangkok to Phnom Penh departs in the morning, and you'll make your own way to the airport by taxi or tuk tuk (you'll get a better deal on the spot). On arrival at Phnom Penh, you’ll be picked up at the airport. Here you’ll find plenty of rickshaws waiting to whisk you to your hotel for about $1. The rest of the day you can spend exploring the city or just relaxing; we’ve saved the city tour until tomorrow. Phnom Penh is a beautiful city with lots of historic colonial buildings and by Cambodian standards it’s quite modern with asphalted roads, modern shops, a nice boulevard and lots of cash machines. Today you can explore the city on your own. You could pay a visit to the National Museum of Cambodia, which was built in 1917 and houses an impressive collection of Khmer artefacts. Then head to the Silver Pagode, which gets its name from its solid silver floor. In the afternoon you can climb the hill to the Wat Phnom, the temple after which the city was named. You’ll be staying in a comfortable, cosy hotel in Phnom Penh. |
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Day 4: Phnom Penh - Tuol Sleng Museum and Killing Fields TourToday you will be able to visit the more remote sites of Phnom Penh with your guide, such as the Tuol Sleng museum and the Killing Fields. In 1975 the Rode Khmer marched into the capital city Phnom Penh, Pol Pot became prime minister of Cambodia and made a very bloody attempt to turn Cambodia into a communist agricultural state. Cities were destroyed and everyone was forced to become a farmer. Money, education, religion and private ownership were abolished. Marriages were pre-arranged and children were separated from their parents. People who refused to cooperate were killed. Intellectuals and scholars were considered a danger and were murdered and even wearing glasses or speaking a second language were enough to make you a suspect. Pol Pot didn’t believe in their ideals and regarded them as a nuisance.The Tuol Sleng is an exceptionally moving museum where you are confronted with the harrowing events through a series of photographs. The museum is located in a former primary school which was used as a torture prison for political enemies by the Red Khmer. For many it was their last stop before ending up in the mass graves of the Killing Fields, in an orchard just outside Phnom Penh. As many as 17.000 people were killed here. At the end of the afternoon you will visit the Apsara Foundation where poor Cambodian children can learn to dance. You'll be staying another night in the same hotel in Phnom Penh. |
Day 5: Phnom Penh - Kompong Cham
After breakfast in your hotel you will be picked up by a local driver and taken to the bus station. Once your bus ticket has been purchased for you and you’ve been shown the way to the right bus, you’ll be on your way to your friendly hosts in the country. Kompong Cham is a small village in the heart of Cambodia, a couple of hours east of Phnom Penh. It’s the traditional Cambodia where rice is still cultivated by hand, families live in wooden huts and children wave excitedly as you pass by. On arrival in Kompong Cham you’ll be picked up at the bus station and taken to the homestay where you will welcomed by your hosts Don, his wife Kheang and their two children. During your stay in their friendly home you’ll experience rural life in Cambodia first-hand, helping the farmers sow and harvest the rice and preparing some traditional Cambodian meals with Kheang. The American Don will teach you a bit of Cambodian and help translate when you’re chatting to the locals. You’ll feel very much at home here. Your accommodation is typically Cambodian; simple but traditional.
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Day 6: Kompong Cham
Early in the morning you’re woken gently by the birds and crowing cockerel. After breakfast, lovingly prepared by Kheang, you can go for a walk through the rice paddies or ‘jambaas’ and observe the daily life in the real Cambodia. Children cycle by on with books under their arms, on their way to school. Don and his wife teach local Cambodians how to sustain themselves by growing their own crops with seeds and they’ve also opened an English school for the local villagers. It’s great to see how Don and his wife put their heart into their local community. |
Day 7: Kompong Cham - Phnom Penh
Despite the basic accommodation with no electricity, hot water and air-conditioning, you'll be hesitant to leave. For the last two days you were a part of the village life here and were welcomed like a local. This is a different side of Cambodia, the real Cambodia which you don't get to see in the big cities or beach resorts. It's an experience you'll never forget. |
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Day 8: Phnom Penh - KepIn the morning you will be picked up by your driver for the 4-hour drive to Kep. On the way you’ll stop off at Phnom Chisor (Phnom = hill), an ancient Khmer temple on, you’ve guessed it, a hill. It’s a steep climb to the top but the view is definitely worth it. You’ll find the two entrance temples at the foot of the hill. The area is very rural with farmers working the land and cows grazing in the green fields. The trip continues to Angkor Borei, a small town with some interesting historic excavations, the result of which can be found in a small museum.In the afternoon you’ll arrive in the coastal village of Kep. It’s very peaceful here, with a couple of fish restaurants and a nice beach. These small fishing villages are very popular weekend retreats for people coming down from Phnom Penh, but you’ll find mainly locals here and few tourists. You’ll be staying in a small bungalow built onto a hillside with views across the sea and Bokor mountain to the right, and the Vietnamese island Phu Quoc to the left. Kep is a good base from which to explore the uninhabited islands off the coast, or for a cycling or hiking trips in the nearby hills. |
Day 9: Kep - free time: active or relaxed?Today it’s up to you what you want to do. Laze around in your hammock with a good book and take a dip in the sea if you like, but there’s plenty to do here if you’re looking for something a bit more active. Just behind the bungalow is the starting point of a trail leading around the mountain of Kep. You can rent mountain bikes, a scooter or a jeep to explore the area, or go hiking in the forests with some amazing views across the sea. Just ask at the hotel reception for more information.For some exceptionally beautiful beaches in this area, go to the islands of Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island) or Koh Poh (Coral Island). Koh Tonsay has three sparkling white beaches but Koh Poh is even better. The island is surrounded by a coral reef which makes it excellent for discovering the underwater world. The hotel can arrange a transfer to the pier, a half-hour boat trip and a picnic basket for you, and what you’ll find is a soft white, deserted beach. |
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Days 10 and 11: Kep - SihanoukvilleAfter breakfast you will be picked up by your driver and after you bid farewell to Kep you’ll head off on the 2½ hour drive to Sihanoukville. This tropical beach resort with its four outstretched beaches and clear blue waters is still relatively new; the resort is more developed than Kep and Kampot in Cambodia, but it’s unspoiled and quiet. You’ll be staying two nights on Ochheuteal beach in a small bungalow full of charm, just one minute (literally!) walk from the beach. At sunset Cambodian vendors sell fresh shrimp, lobster and squid which they grill for you on the barbecue. There are also several island and snorkel excursions available from Sihanoukville.Not far from your resort is the Ream National Park with pristine tropical beaches, mangrove forests and dense jungle. We can definitely recommend it on your ‘free’ day... |
Day 12: Sihanoukville - Phnom PenhAfter a completely different Cambodia experience, feeling relaxed and rested you’ll make your way by comfortable bus to Phnom Penh. You can easily arrange the transfer to the bus station yourself. The Cambodian signs are impossible to decipher so finding the right bus is no small feat but the ever-friendly Cambodians will be happy to assist; just ask someone for directions at the station. You’ll be staying a final night in Phnom Penh before you travel on to Siem Reap. |
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Day 13: Phnom Penh - Siem ReapIn the morning you will cross the Tonle Sap lake and river by hydrofoil to Siem Reap. You’ll be taken to the jetty by car. The boat trip takes about 5 hours which is a lot faster than by car. You can sit on the roof of the boat for a great view but remember your sunscreen; the water reflects the sun which means you’ll burn more easily even if it’s cloudy. You can also sit indoors of course, less of a view but with cool air-conditioning. The river is several kilometres wide in some places, just metres wide in others which makes the trip a succession of wonderful vistas and up-close views of houses and people living on the water. Villages on stilts, floating islands, boats, water birds, children playing on the river banks and pigs in floating cages pass by. In unforeseen circumstances, such as exceptionally low water, this part of the trip will be covered by coach. On arrival in Siem Reap you’ll be greeted by a crowd of rickshaw drivers, so do as the locals do and be whisked away to your hotel for around $1. Your hotel is centrally located with spacious air-conditioned rooms, friendly staff and a pool. |
Day 14: Siem Reap - Angkor Tour with GuideToday you will visit part of the Angkor temple complex with your guide. You'll need several days to cover everything because the dozens of temples are scattered across an area of 25 square km. You could wander through the temples, statues and ruins forever but make sure to stay on the paths, as there are lots of mines in this area. The temples date from different periods as each ruler built his own temple, which gives each temple a unique character. The most famous temple Angkor Wat is strongly Hindu influenced, whereas Angkor Thom is more Buddhist. After a day of temples and culture you’ll be spending another night at your hotel in Siem Reap. |
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Day 15: Siem Reap - Angkor Independent VisitToday you can explore Angkor at your own pace. Angkor is the name of the ancient capital of the Khmer empire which was founded in the 8th century AD. The empire stretched all the way to southern Vietnam and China. Later it was the Siamese empire of the Thai that ruled the area and brought many Buddhist influences to the region. Siem Reap literally means ‘conquest by Siam’ so it’s rather noble of the Khmer to have kept the name to this day. The temples were once surrounded by a thriving city filled with wooden houses. Sadly they’re long gone but the temples themselves are impressive enough. For centuries the city was overgrown by jungle until the ruins were discovered by French explorers in 1900. Several temples have been restored but others are still overgrown. The Ta Prohm temple for example shows you how the jungle still has a hold on the buildings. Giant trees tower over them and the roots have wrapped themselves around the temple walls. It’s a strange but impressive sight. Tonight you’ll be spending another night in Siem Reap. |
Day 16: Siem Reap - BangkokThe quickest way to get to Bangkok is our own Siem Reap – Bangok express. In the morning you’ll be picked up at your hotel in Siem Rep and taken to the Cambodian border. After 5 hours you’ll arrive in the small town of Poipet where you’ll collect the necessary stamps and make your way on foot across the border where you’ll find your Thai driver waiting to take you to Bangkok. During the 5-hour drive by comfortable minibus you’ll pass through beautiful green countryside and small villages, arriving in Bangkok at the end of the afternoon. You’ll be staying in the same hotel as the beginning of your trip. |
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Day 17: Bangkok - End of itineraryToday marks the end of your round trip. You can arrange your transfer to the airport at the hotel reception, it's a lot cheaper than if we would pre-book it for you from the UK. |